LGC brings its unrivalled BSE testing experience to South West England

LGC, the international science-based service company, announces the opening of its new BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) testing laboratory in Exeter, Devon. LGC has been testing brainstem samples for the presence of abnormal prion protein, the indicator of BSE infection, since 2001 and has tested over 2.4 million brainstem samples to date.

Located at the Exeter University Innovation Centre, the new facility marks a significant milestone in the continued development of LGC’s BSE testing capabilities, adding to its existing BSE testing operations at laboratories in Edinburgh and in Runcorn, Cheshire.

The new laboratory establishes a testing centre in the South West of England in close proximity to a number of LGC’s key customers. Samples from over a dozen abattoirs in the region were previously transported each evening to LGC’s BSE testing laboratory in Runcorn.

LGC’s investment reflects the company’s recognition of the need for a BSE laboratory near Exeter in anticipation of the legislative changes made in December 2008 by the Department for Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), that now require the meat industry to pay for the BSE tests.

David Richardson, Chief Executive of LGC, commented: "LGC is delighted to open the new BSE laboratory in Exeter to provide a streamlined testing service to our customers in the South West of England. Our location at the Innovation Centre opens up the potential for some exciting scientific collaboration with the University of Exeter".